Serious Fun learning about Renewable Energy

 

A picture is worth a thousand words. Kaitlin and Allison from the UW Madison WEI (Wisconsin Energy Institute) Spent 4 hours in the Mobile KidWind Learning Laboratory getting some hands on experience.

From the list of possible hands on learning possibilities they choose #’s 71, 41 and 69. They started with #41 - Assemble a GEN-X ac generator. This is a new addition that will be coming to the KidWind program soon. It will allow students to design, build and test a radial AC generator. They will wind coils for a stator and wire them to produce either single or three phase AC electricity. Then they will have to rectify the AC output to DC for the KidWind challenge. Similar to what Pedro did last week, Allison and Kaitlin were able to look at a model preassembled GEN-X and then took parts from another kit to build one of their own. Some parts in the kit were missing and had to be borrowed from the model. Once they had their model assembled they tested it to see if it produced electricity. It did. Then they had to disassemble their work and put the model back together like it was to start. All this took about an hour but they now have the experience to draw from if they are given this task to do again in the future.

Next they wanted to work with planetary gears, #71. They first looked at a standard single step 1:8 ratio using the spur gears used in a KidWind Nacelle. Experiencing the differences in speed and torque by spinning KidWind Nacelles with 1:16 and 1:32 ratios. Then they did the math to understand how the tooth ratios between driving and driven gears resulted in the ratio. Then actual planetary gear sets from an auto transmission, Dewalt drill and 20 watt dc generator were examined. The input shaft of the 20 watt generator input shaft was turned 1 revolution and the output shaft of the generator was counted. The result was a little over 5 and 1/2 rotations. Giving a ratio of 1:5.5

Now the planetary gears were exposed and identified and defined. Sun gear, planet gears and ring gear. The gear teeth on the ring and sun were counted. To get the total number of teeth on the planets they added the teeth of the sun to the ring gear. (NOTE: if all of this seems long and complicated then you are getting the reason for the bus and hands on experiences for the teachers. Just ask Allison and Kaitlin.)       

Anyway then they did some of the math and after a few tries got the numbers they got in the verification they did at the start. They now have a good start on learning more about and working with planetary gears like the ones in real wind turbines that they see.

Lastly they wanted to Assemble a yaw system for a wind turbines #69.  After learning what a yaw system on a wind turbine does using a small model and movable fan. They were ready to build their own. They put together PVC pipe to allow the Nacelle to be mounted on the tower but also swivel. Then they used pipe hangers and threaded rods to mount the tail they cut out of cardboard to the main part of the yaw system. Then they attached a premade set of blades and tested it in the KW wind tunnel to see if it kept the blades facing the wind as the base of the tower was rotated.

Again IF you find all this long and confusing you are getting the picture of what the Mobile KidWind Learning Laboratory bus can and will do to provide teachers with hands on experiences that they can share and use in their classrooms to better cover renewable energy and specifically how electricity is produced from the wind and the sun. Teaching about the future of renewable energy in their classrooms TODAY!

Allison and Kaitlin having some serious fun learning about renewable energy on the bus.

Do you have any thoughts or comments about this idea about providing this opportunity to interested teacher?

KidWind Mobile Learning Laboratory getting ready to “roll”

 

A month ago I posted a picture of this 2001 Ford E350 bus with only 8,00 miles on it!  This bus was going to become the KidWind Mobile Learning Laboratory, an idea I proposed to Mike Arquin, the founder of the KidWind program, in August of 2024. Part of the justification for the bus was to make the KidWind training sessions we had been doing for the last 5 years in Wisconsin more efficient. I wrote, “Everyone knows that teachers/coaches are the key to KidWind student participation. Right now the training model calls for getting a suitable location, picking a specific date and time that 10 to 15 teachers can fit into their schedule plus getting a substitute and travel time. The training day and date are advertised and communicated through various ways. Preparations are made with the hope for 10-12 participants.” 

There is also the preparation by the trainers to consider. Equipment must be gather, loaded and transported to the training site. Then it must be unloaded and set up at the training site. After the training is done the process must be reversed and the equipment and materials stored for the next session. We did 2 or 3 a year.

How is this going to work? 5 W’s How and How Much…

The bus is loaded with everything needed to go. The list of hands on learning experiences that are contained on the bus.

Each of these experiences is more defined and explained on a 3 page attachment for the teacher to refer to as they make their 8 to 10 selections on the sign up sheet pictured below.

This is the sign up sheet that teachers will fill out.

It works. The first beta testing shows it. Just ask Pedro, a former KidWind team member now attending the UW Platteville assembling the new Gen-X AC wind generator.

Or David, a local coffee buddy wiring a series of solar PV panels into an array that will power devises with the correct voltage.

I am confident that with the continued support and funding from the stake holders in the renewable energy business the KidWind Mobile Learning Laboratory will be coming to a school near you soon and working with a teacher that wants to learn more about making electricity from the wind and sun and teaching their students about the future of renewable energy today!

I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have.

Dick Anderson

Darlington, WI  

Beta Test 2 for 2

The delivery system of content for the Mobile KidWind Learning Laboratory bus is now in place and works!

Local coffee buddy, Dave, from Darlington went through the process. He selected 10 hands on experiences from the list of 32 hands on experiences list and he committed to 4 hours. We narrowed it down to these four, #49 Assemble PV panels in series /parallel. #50 Design and assemble PV panel circuit to run a devise. #51 Measure output of a solar PV system. And # 65 Use and explore LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out) systems.

Starting a 11:30 we spent 45 minutes touring and discussing my 16 panel, 8kW grid tied solar system. Dave has an interest in PV because he’s planing to move to Hawaii next year and because of Hawaii’s limited grid will need to run his rural off grid home on Solar. Dave used a multimeter to measure my systems output and how it is tied to the grid.

The next 45 minutes were spent wiring up AA batteries in series and parallel learning the rules for voltage and verifying the rules with a multimeter. 

Back from lunch. By the way part of the program will be that any teacher committing to a 4 hour session will get a free lunch on KidWind! The next hour was spent experimenting with the Sun Shine in a Jar model. This model has a single 4 volt PV panel that charges a 660mAh  3.2v LiFePO4 Rechargable cell. It is also wired to charge a 3V 10F capacitor to compare performance with the LiFePO4 cell. Various devises can be hooked to this system and measurements for voltage and amperage were measured. This model was compared to the common solar yard pathway lights that many people have and use.

 

With these experiences under his belt Dave moved on the to the meat and potatoes of using what he learned to wire several 6v PV panels to supply the needed voltage to run different voltage devises. Here you can see he has the PV panels wired to run a 6v KW water pump. The “sun” is a stage light to the left. Other electric devises to power can be seen on the bench.

And the last 30 minutes we took a look at the model wind turbine with all the lock out points for power and rotation from top to bottom. Had there been more time some different repair or maintenance jobs requiring LOTO could give been planned out and the safety points physically locked. 

My plan is for a third Beta test with the new first year teacher that is going to teach the 7th and 8th grade Tech classes this year in Darlington. 

I have put together an Index for the hands on Learning Experiences for making electricity from the wind or the sun. A detailed sheet is also included that briefly explains what the experience is about and will cover.

BLADES

#9 - Cut a single airfoil shape blade from a styrofoam blank

14 - Laminate a turbine blade made of styrofoam with plastic

16 - Experiment with different blade design shapes

17 - Experiment with different number of blades in a rotor

18 - Experiment with rotors having different blade pitches

21 - Cut airfoil profile shapes from 1/4” illiquid for use in the hot wire cutting process

24 - Hot glue cardboard to sticks making blades fora rotor to be tested

GEAR BOXES

8 - Set up a gear ratio in a KW Nacelle

20 - Experiment with different gear ratios

71 - Work with planetary gears

GENERATORS

41 - Assemble a GEN-X AC generator

42 - Wind a stator coil for a GEN-X AC generator

43 - Test a single stator coil with magnets for output

44 - Wire an AC generator stator for single phase output

45 - Wire an AC generator stator for 3 phase output

MEASUREMENTS and CALCULATIONS

10 - Test a wind turbine using a 20” box fan

11 - Test a wind turbine using a 48” KW wind tunnel

51 - Measure the output of a solar system

68 - Use a multimeter to measure volts, amps and ohms

SOLAR SYSTEMS

47 - Assemble PV panels in a series array

48 - Assemble PV panels in a parallel array

49 - Assemble PV panels in a combination series/parallel array

50 - Design and assemble a PV panned array to run a devise

SAFETY

64 - Use and apply LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out) devises

OTHER

7 - Assemble a KW Nacelle

13 - Perform a McGyver weight lifting test

23 - Drill and thread a KW black blade hub for 6-32 threads and cap screws

46 - Measure the strength of different magnets

66 - Build a full wave bridge rectifier

69 - Assemble a yaw system for a wind turbine

70 - Assemble a furling system for a wind turbine

Please share if you have suggests or comments about this idea of bringing Renewable Energy education to teachers. Thanks

Imagine this…

 

This is going to be one mighty fine place for a teacher interested in learning more about making electricity from the wind and sun. Where they can design, build and test a model wind turbine. Then take that new knowledge and skill back to their classroom and share it with their students. 

Imagine for a minute. You are a teacher that is interested in learning a new technology. A technology that has vocabulary terms, new equipment and processes that are new to you. There are many ways to do this, YouTube, books, vocational or college classes. Or maybe a bus that comes to your school or home with all the “stuff” needed and an instructor to get you started.  

Remember that mystery box. Imagine this box filled with Lego blocks, but no plans or manual? Like a Jig Saw puzzle in a plain brown box!

In the last post we did everything on the left. Now we are going to do what is on the right. Like Bob Wiley says in my favorite movie, What About Bob? “Meat and potatoes Marie.”

These parts from the box will make up the 4 different gear rations that are possible, how?

The first one is going to be an easy single step 1:4 gear ratio like this.

Then we will ramp it up to a two step gear train. If you are getting interested in this and how the ratio is calculated you are getting the idea. The students will also get this and the fun is coming up.

Because after we make some new blades for the Nacelle we will put them into the on board wind tunnel and start to see how much electrical power they can make. With these new skills and knowledge get experience with the number of blades and blade materials. Then make different blade shapes, maybe even airfoils. What about the pitch?

Is it just a bus or do you see what I see? If you want to be a member of the village to learn more or be a supporter of this project contact me Dick Anderson in Darlington, WI or KidWind.org a 501c3 organization.

 

Good progress on KW Bus Project

 

OK, so if you know about KidWind, you know this is what we want for teachers to be able to do with their students. Assemble a KW Nacelle, with a 2 watt KW generator and gear train that is driven by a set of blades in a 4 m/s wind tunnel to produce electric power. Specifically a number of Joules in 30 seconds against a 30 ohm load. Normally the Joule out put is around 30-40 J in 30 seconds for beginning students. Experienced student teams are putting out ten times that, 300 to 400 Joules. For the record a joule of power is 1 watt of power for 1 second. Now IF, you are still reading this then by all means read on to learn what the KidWind Mobile Learning Laboratory is all about.

So if you want to do all this here is what you get now. A nice box for $150 from Vernier. Let me back up a bit. Since the 70’s I have been interested in renewable energy. Specifically making electricity from the wind (solar wasn’t even a possibility then). As a high school “shop” teacher I had all the tools and equipment for the subjects of the day, I taught, metals, welding, power mechanics and electricity. “Making electricity” was a “new” idea. The oil embargo when Jimmy Carter was president got people like me thinking. Plus building a wind turbine applied a lot of the skills and knowledge I taught in my classes.

I marched on building wind turbines, electric vehicles and solar hot water systems the educational system and students however were not interested at the time. Besides where would a students put any renewable energy skills to use?

Finally, after 15 years of planning, in 2015 EDP built a 95 MW wind farm in Seymour town ship in Darlington, WI ! It was time, I had never even heard about KidWind, but in 2017 (now retired) EDP sent me to Mike Arquin’s, Recharge Academy for a week in Fort Collins, CO. I was hooked! And here I am today building a bus that will bring to teachers the knowledge and equipment that took me over 8 years to learn. 

Sure you can get a box like this and plow through it on your own. But I can bring it, on the bus, to a teacher and get it done in a day or two so they can bring “The future of Renewable Energy” to their classes TODAY!

What’s in the BOX? Imagine any teacher getting this and then figuring it out…

Presently in Wisconsin we run 2 or 3 one day teacher training classes. Getting the site, date and teachers to all line up for 10-15 teachers and the trainers is a real challenge. From this “shotgun” approach hoping to get 5 or 6 teacher to put it into their classroom. Why not just take the training, on a bus, to the specific teacher that says I want to make Renewable Energy part of my curriculum for my students or a small group of interested students?

So here it is right off the notes on the white board. The McGyver activity that uses the wind to produce torque to raise a cup of washers. Students compete to design, build and test blades that will raise the greatest number of washers from the wind produced by a 20” box fan.  

And this is the start to bigger and better things. Designing, building and assembling a gear box. Designing, building and testing a set of blades to turn a 2 watt KidWind DC generator to light an LED and produce the Joules of electric power I mentioned at the start of this post.

The bus is taking shape, the alternator has been replaced. Two wind tunnels to test turbines have been built into the bus. A model work bench has been assembled and tested out with the McGyver activity. Storage units for supplies, tools and equipment have been researched.

The work bench/work area with storage units is next on my list and will be covered in my next post.

It is going to take a village of supporters to make this a reality. If you want to be a member of the village and learn more or be a supporter contact me, Dick Anderson in Darlington, WI or KidWind.org a 501c3 organization. 

    

 

KidWind Bus Project Begins

 What do you see?

If you said a small bus then you have told me what it IS. Please read on…

What I see is a vehicle that can be used to bring, to teachers, the knowledge and skills needed to design, build and test model wind turbines or solar PV systems to produce electricity from the wind and sun.

Why? The production of electricity from the wind and sun is here. To understand it we need to teach it in our schools. This will require the teaching of teachers first. How?

This bus when finished will be equipped with the necessary tools and materials to achieve this goal. 

How will it work? The teacher/s interested in learning the hands-on skills and knowledge to design, build and test a model wind turbine or PV solar system to produce electricity will schedule a mutually workable time and school or location for the bus and instructor (myself) to come and work with them.  Think of it like going on You Tube to learn something and then having the person making the You Tube video drive up with the equipment and materials to actually work with. 

The saying is, “I hear it I forget it, I see it I remember it, I do it I understand it.” 

Industrial Technology classes in public schools today have undergone a lot of change. When I was teaching in the 70’s it was call Shop class. Then Industrial Education, and now Industrial Tech. Likewise in preparing today’s teachers the skills and knowledge covered in preparing today’s “Shop” teacher has changed a lot. People have recognized that the skilled trades and the workers are very important. Technology changes rapidly and teachers need to keep up as it changes. I believe the time has come for this bus and the work that it will do has come. You cannot teach something you know nothing about.

The KidWind program started over 20 years ago and has facilitated over 1,200 in-person workshops. These trainings broaden educator’s knowledge of STEM topics and clean energy, explore project-based pedagogies, and provide details about participating in the KidWind Challenges. In addition, we provide classroom materials. We offer a variety of workshops depending on the goals of the participants. 

It is going to take a village of supporters to make this a reality. So if you are reading this and see what I “see” and want to learn more or be a supporter contact me, Dick Anderson in Darlington, WI or KidWind.org a 501c3 organization.

I look forward to hearing from like minded people like yourself that believe we need to teach about the future of clean renewable energy, today!

Thanks